Greens boast a ton of vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients in those pretty little leaves.
Did you know just one cup of spinach has a significant amount of Vitamins K, A, E, B1, B2, B6, and C, manganese, folate, magnesium, iron, copper, calcium, potassium, fiber, phosphorous, zinc, and protein? (Did you stop reading that list about half way through because you ran to your fridge to start eating spinach by the handful? We wouldn't judge if you did.)
Ok so we named a lot of vitamins. What does all of this mean for you and your baby?
It helps regulate hunger and digestion, can reduce inflammation, promotes healthy neural development of your baby, promotes lower blood pressure which reduces your risk for pre-eclampsia, and even helps with mental clarity.
Essentially, it's filled with good things for every part of your body!
So suffice it to say, we 100% recommend adding greens to your meals, especially during pregnancy.
Add them to salads, smoothies, stir fry, and...muffins?
Yes, you read that right!
Don't let the alarmingly green hue of these guys scare you off.
You know how you can't really taste spinach in a fruity and creamy smoothie?
Same concept here!
The agave and applesauce provide sweetness and nicely mask the flavor of the spinach.
They're easy to make, since half of the ingredients are mixed with a blender.
**Fun fact, these muffins are also dairy, gluten free, and vegan.
Here's the recipe!
Ingredients you need:
- 2 cups gluten free flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ cup coconut oil
- ¾ cup almond milk
- 1 (6 ounce) bag fresh baby spinach
- ½ cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1/2 cup agave
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F, and put paper liners in a muffin tin. Set aside.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix well and set aside.
3. Put spinach, coconut oil, and almond milk into a blender and blitz until pureed. Add applesauce, agave, and vanilla and blend again.
4. Pour wet ingredients into the mixing bowl of dry ingredients, and fold until everything is combined well. Do not over mix.
5. Scoop mixture into muffin tin about 3/4 of the way full.
6. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
7. Cool and enjoy!